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Big Ten Basketball Preview: #13 Penn State Nittany Lions

By Alex Miller

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We continue our Big Ten Preview with the Penn State Nittany Lions. In their third year under head coach Pat Chambers, Penn State finished 16-18, falling to Siena in the second round of the CBI. In conference play the Nittany Lions wound up going 6-12, good for a 10th place tie in last year’s 12 team Big Ten.

Key Losses

Tim Frazier is far and away Penn State’s biggest loss this offseason, and really the only departure who’s impact will be missed. Frazier, who earned a spot on the 3rd team all-Big Ten, was the Nittany Lions’ point guard and second leading scorer averaging 14.9 ppg. He was also the best Penn State had at generating steals and getting to the free throw line where he made 78.5%-2nd on the team.

Two other seniors from last years team are gone as well. Wisniewski was lost to graduation, but Roberts, a transfer from Miami (Ohio) who averaged 5.7 ppg in 18 contests, left the program back in Februrary due to a lack of playing time. The freshman Woodward transferred to Drake over the offseason.

New Faces

  • Devin Foster
  • Shep Garner
  • Isaiah Washington
  • Payton Banks
  • Julian Moore

Devin Foster should have the biggest immediate impact for Penn State. The JUCO transfer was a 2nd team All-American at Vincinnes (Ind.) averaging 12.2 points and 4.8 assists per game as a sophomore. Garner and Washington are the teams lone incoming recruits, both of whom are guards and 3-star prospects. Washington is listed at 6’3″, 160 which, if true, suggests he’s a possible redshirt candidate. Banks redshirted his freshman season while Moore received a medical hardship for a broken nose he suffered early in his freshman campaign. Both were also 3 star recruits and look to contribute this season.

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Starting Lineup

Penn State returns four starters from last season including potential 1st team all-Big Ten guard D.J. Newbill, who led Penn State with 17.8 ppg. This is a Penn State team with some flexibility-they can play big or small. Senior guard John Johnson (6’1″ 185) could also see some starting minutes depending on the matchup as well as junior forward Donovan Jack (6’9″ 210).

The Nittany Lions have depth and experience, but there are a lot of question marks. The biggest of which, revolves around how they will replace Tim Frazier. Foster is the only true point guard on the roster, and Penn State’s best option. However, it remains to be seen if Foster is ready for D1 play-the Big Ten is quite a step up in competition from JUCO. He did show an ability to shoot the three ball at a respectable clip last year, but I’d expect to see a drop in that category this season.

One of the reasons Newbill was so effective last season, was because of the presence of Frazier. Opponents had to plan for both of them, but now opposing defenses will key in on Newbill and I don’t think he repeats his numbers from a year ago. This is why Foster is an ‘x-factor’ of sorts for this year’s team. If he can hit the 3 point shot, something no one on Penn State could do last year (seriously, Newbill was PSU’s best at 32.6%), i.t could open things up for Newbill and The Nittany Lions could surprise some teams.

Penn State struggled defending the three last year although they were one of the best in the conference at defending the two. Will they improve this year? Can they rebound better? Only Travis and Taylor were above average in rebounding %. Ultimately, I think they struggle to rebound, hit their three point shots, defend from beyond the arc yet again and the loss of Frazier is too much to overcome. With all the experience returning, I could see Penn State having a solid non-confrence slate considering their toughest game is at home vs George Washington, but they really struggle in conference play and wind up near the bottom of the standings.

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